Allentown snores through budget

Council's first glimpse at spending plan lacks spark of years past.

November 07, 2006|By Scott Kraus Of the Morning Call

Compared to the drama of the last two years, when Allentown City Council scrambled to reverse drastic service cuts and layoffs or pare down a proposed 37 percent tax increase, Monday night's kickoff hearing on Mayor Ed Pawlowski's 2007 budget was a snoozer.

Councilman Louis Hershman, on a quest to find $300,000 in cuts to speed repayment of the city's $10 million loan, had his usual list of line-item questions, and proposed reductions.

But by and large, it was a relatively calm, if lengthy four-hour budget review.

After plowing through all the city's major departments, police, fire and community and economic development, as well as the controller and the mayor's office, council members said afterwards that the $75.5 million budget, which includes no tax increase, no service cuts and no layoffs, doesn't leave much to debate.

Councilman Martin Velazquez III said the difference between this year's budget and those of Pawlowski's predecessor Roy C. Afflerbach is simple.

"I believe the numbers," he said. "The numbers make sense. I think the challenge for us will be how to stay lean and not eliminate things that provide value."

Some councilmen wondered aloud if there was any way the city could hire more than six new police officers.

Police Chief Roger MacLean said the department is slowly rebuilding from the exodus of 54 early retirements in 2005. This year, he said, the force added 16 officers who are now in the police academy and will hit the streets in 2007. Training a new officer takes up to nine months, he said.

Next year, the department expects to add six more positions, all but one paid for with a $250,000 state grant. That will bring the number of sworn officers up to 202, more than 40 officers below the city's peak of 242 in 2003, MacLean said. The department had 231 officers as recently as 2004.

"The officers who have been here are doing a fantastic job picking up the slack," MacLean said.

Council President David M. Howells Sr., a former city police chief, said he was concerned that those officers could get burned out if they are overworked.

And there could be an unpleasant surprise looming in the fire department's budget.

The city is in arbitration with its firefighters union over the difference in pay rates between ranks, and whether it should pay a premium to firefighters on special squads such as the bomb squad or the dive team. If the union wins, salary costs could increase.

"If you lose in arbitration, you have to appropriate it," said finance director Larry Hilliard.

The administration also is talking with the union about whether it can count a fire marshal toward a minimum shift-staffing requirement that will increase to 28 in 2007, from the current 27. If not, the city will likely face higher than expected overtime costs.

Finally, Controller Frank Concannon asked City Council to restore one vacant auditor position the administration proposed eliminating. Concannon, who said he'd settle for a clerical aide, said his three-person staff has a hard time keeping up with its duties.